Water saving device for flush tanks



J y 1952 c. M. M CORMACK ET AL 2,602,934

WATER SAVING DEVICE F OR FLUSH TANKS Filed Sept. 28, 1950 Y E N R O INVENTORS CHflRLEs PLMc CoRMncK SALVATORE Sfenan on Patented July 15, 1952 warmsavmcnsvrcaronrtosnraisins;.

Charles MJiMG'G'ormack, Scarsdale; andfialvatore Suiaranda; Yonkers, N;'1Y-".,.v.assignors ofinne: third.; .to=.,-said: .McGorm ckr; Qll,-: JI i t aid; Faranda,.-andzo,ne -third toz-EdwardrJFreeman,

Application septemher 28, 1950;Serial ploy-187,227

7 Claims: (CL 4767:)

The plOblIllThflS (been;previously'iattackedfl but prior; designers have: relt it "necessary neither; to provide for: a 're duced automatic sfiush. which-must be' semi-permanently':setiin; or to .incorporate means, distinct iroml'the operating-handle to enable==a manual closing ofthe buoyant ball valve controlling the dischargeof water;

An object of: our invention is :to'provide asimple assembly which :may' be added "to'or incorporated in'a conventional-- flush tank" system to enable a vuser to'choose either .a full automatic flush or control the amount of waterper-mittedtofiow from the: tankl.

A' furth'er object "of-"our invention is to provide such-anassembly which maybe economically-and easily 1 manufactured and simply incorporated in conventional flush tank systems;

Anotherob'jectof our invention-is'the provision of such an assembly including yieldabledetent means adapted'to signal a user--of the condition where -additionalipressure on the "operating han die of the flush tank system will result'in an automaticzfdll' flush; and hence to permita fully controlled discharge fromthetank;

Briefly, our invention includes the-=addition'of- I3 Y when said level'is reached; the valve is closed;

yieldable detent" means to a conv'entionala flush tanksystem so asto permit the user-'to-senseincreased resistance to further depression of the operating handle=when a criticalpoint of elevation of the'b'uoyant ball-valve (of the-outlet valve) is reached, above whichpoint an automatic -full flush will result; but which-point" is -not= high enough to preventsaid ball'from -reseating itseli and thus closing the outlet-Waive should the-"use r then release the 'operating'handlee In atpreferred embodiment this isaccomplished -by--mounting a detent rod so ithatioit :will be.,engaged; by means associated: with theFQperating handlesagainstthe pressureofzrazspring onhr after; theisaid': critical height :of ztheabuoyantball yalveiis-approximated, 5

into theewaten closet inisuflioientvolume to maintain a, flushing; operations Such .operation'is halted .upon. release by the: user of pressure on theoperating handle,

Qthenob'jects anda iuJlernunderstanding of our invention may, be had 'byreferringtouthe .descripi tion and claims which follow, taken in conjunctioniwith: theaccompanying drawing which. illustrates preferred, embodiment thereoi; it; being understood that the" foregoingstatement ofvthe thereof :isjntended to generally explain ;tl;1 e; same without limiting it in any manner; I

Fig. 1 "is aside elevationaliview-of a tflushrtank broken: away to show aconventional =system to whichhas been added an assembly embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail-tof Fig. 1; showing said invention; omitting the members relating to the -inflow systems Fig. l 3 is :a fragmentary elevational view of another embodiment of our invention.-

Fig; 4 is :a fragmentary elevational VieWa'Of still another-embodiment oif our invention showingthedetent rod in its lowest position;

Fig; 5 isa similarview: of the same showing the detent rod in-an-elevatedposition:

Referring-- to the drawing and more articularly, Fig. 1, there-is showna conventional "flush tank 'l I having a= cover I2; the inflow "system of which includes: an inflow pipe 1 I 3; which empties into ab'all-cockvalve: I4 controlled-by-float l5, which is-linked byit radiusa-rm I6; pivotally mounted saddle ll, and linksl8 and I9, so-that when thewater; and hence the-float;v is below a predeterminedlevel,' the -.va1ve-.-remains :open', but

The 1 dischargesystemof said tank, omitting the heavilyoutlined portion which illustrates E3311 assemblyeincorporatin-g a preferred embodiment ofour; invention, includes a discharge pipe- 20 which terminates--inoutlet-valve seat- 2 l upon which isseated-"a buoyant ball valve- 22; upwardsextending valvestem 23 terminating in:-.a looped portion z iiiscthreaded into a: bushing: 25

in the top of ball valve 2 2 and is-:kept 'in vertical alignment by -'laterally.-.-extending guide, bracket 2S1 secured to over-flow pipes 21: Anactuating member-includesvoperating hand1e12v8; extending outside-oftank H andlever arm 29. Themember -is=pivotal1ymounted so that as said-handle is depressed; said lever israisedz "Liftzwireill is suspended from lever arm 29, being secured thereto by its upper looped' portion- '31" which passesthroughaperture-'32 in said arm: The lower portion -ofsaid' wire': is bent to jorn'ra laterally-extending arm- 33- and" terminatesz in-"a lateral eye' 3 l which is slidea'ble along valve In operation, whenopera-ting- -ha'nclleazll 1 is depressed; lever arm ZS is elevated, carrying with it lift- -vvire' 30 which in turnraises ball 22 sufiiciently -so as to permit its buoyancy -to overcome object's:ofi'ourinvention and" the brieisummary "hasishot'- upward;-it=will -not be-reseated= until the water has reached a predetermined lower level, at which point, said suction and gravity operate to settle the ball against its seat and thus halt the further discharge of the tank. What has been described thus far is conventional. We have added a simple assembly to permit less than a full discharge. 7

A preferred form of our invention, shown in Fig. 2, includes a detent bracket 35, secured at one end for vertical adjustment to outlet pipe 2! by wingnut 33, the other end extending laterally, underneath lever arm 29 andgripping avertically extending sleeve 31, having a lipped head 38; a detent rod 39, terminating at its upper end in eye 40, is slideably secured in said sleeve by means of a laterally-extending shoulder 4| which may rest upon head 38 and an encircling spiral spring 42, the upper end of which may be normally in contact with the lower portion of bracket 35, and the lower portion of which may rest upon a spring washer 43 held in place by a cotter pin 44 which passes through a bore in the lower portion of said rod; a lift wire 45, its upper bighted portion 45, passing through an aperture 41 in lever arm 28 and its lower laterally extending eye 43 slideably engaging an upper portion of detent rod 39, completes the assembly.

The assembly may be installed easily in an existing discharge system. Detent bracket 35 is first splipped over or around overflow pipe 2! and loosely held in place by screwing home wingnut 36. The upper portion of lift wire 45 is then passed through aperture 41 in lever arm 29 and bent over to form bighted portion 45.

Then, bracket 35 is tightly secured in place by wingnut 36 so that the distance A (see Fig. 2). between the top of laterally-extending eye 48 of lift wire 45 and the lower portion of eye 40 of detent rod 39 is sufficiently greater than distance B, between the top of lateral eye 34 of lift wire 30 and the lower part of the looped portion 24 of valve stem 23, so that when ball valve 22 is raised by downward pressure upon operating handle 28 to the point where eye 48 of lift wire 45 just engages eye 40 of detent rod 39, the critical height (point of elevation) of ball valve 22 will not be exceeded. Said critical point has been described as the point above which the buoyancy of ball valve 22 will exceed the downward forces of gravity and, suction of the water discharging through the outlet valve. and cause said ball to float, thus precipitating a full or automatic flush. In the latter case the user looses control of the valve and it will not reseat itself when operating handle 28 is released, but will remain open until the level of the water in the tank brings ball valve 22 low enough so thatgravity and'suction will cause it to settle upon valve seat 2!. As

a practical matter, the distance, A minus B, may

be found by trial and error or it may be set at from one-half to five-eighths of an inch, a distance range we have found workable in every application we have made.

The assembly itself, is put together in selfevident fashion. In using the device, if the user desires less than a full or automatic flush, he

1presses down upon operating handle 28 until he feels a definite resistance to further pressure. At this point eye 48 of lift wire 45 has engaged eye 40 of detent rod 39 and the user feels theopposition of spring 42. Also at this point ball valve 22 has been lifted the distance A minus B or approximately one-half inch and water sufiicient for flush action is pouring out of the outlet valve.

If, without exerting additional downward pres-.1

sure on operating handle 28, the user releases said handle, ball valve 22 will reseat itself and halt the flush. If the user at that point exerted sufficient additional pressure, instead, on said handle, then a full flush would result.

Another embodiment of our invention is illustrated in Fig 3, where in lieu of the spring, weights 49 are employed, so that when eye 48 of lift wire 45 is brought into engagement with eye 40 of detent rod 39, the user will encounter resistance represented by the effective weight of said weights 49 instead of the resistance of spring 42, Otherwise this second form is the same as the first.

' Still another embodiment is shown in Figs. 4 and 5, where the resistive influence is supplied by a magnet 50 which is tightly affixed to de tent rod 39. Here another change may be required, namely that head 38 of sleeve 31 be of a magnetic material. In this form up to the point where eye 42 of lift wire 45 engages the lower portion of eye 4E1 of detent'rod 3-3, magnet 50, preferably one of great strength for its size, such as an Alnico magnet, remains fixed to head 38 by magnetic attraction. At this point, the user feels the increased resistance due to the magnetic attraction between said magnet and head. If pressure sufficient to break the contact between said magnet and head is exerted by the user on operating handle 25,- then' a full flush will result. If the user does not pass this point, he may control the flush.

In each for, it will be noted, that as far as the user is concerned, the yieldable detent force (the force of the agency producing the resistance he feels) is multiplied, since the user is at a mechanical disadvantage. Also in each form, detent rod 39 will return to its normal position, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, after the user releases operating handle 23, since lever arm 2!! then falls, effecting a disengagement of eyes 48 and 40. In each case, the agency producing the yieldable detent force, i. e. spring 42, weights 49 and magnet 53, contribute to the force of gravity to reseat said detent rod.

Although we have described our invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous additional changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to'without transcending the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

We claim as our invention: 1 v 1. A water saving device for flush tanks for usewith such tanksnorrnally filled with water toa predetermined level and having a buoyantvalve discharge system, wherein a buoyant valve is raised from an outlet-valve seat to permit the discharge of water by the upward displacement of a lever arm which in turn upwardlydisplaces a lift link slideably engaged. with the valve stem of 'said buoyant valve, comprising adetent rod mounted for reciproc'sal vertical travel and spaced from a'verticallymovable portion of said lever arm, means to exert a yieldable detent force upon said rod, 2. lift wire connected with said lever arm at avertically moving portion thereof and slideably engaged with saidjdetent' rod to transmit said yieldable detentforce'to'said lever arm as a force resisting further'di'splacement thereofafter said arm has been displaced suflicientlyrto raise said valve, but before said valve passes the critical. height .above which its buoyancy exceeds the downwardly directed forces acting upon it.

2. A device as described in claim 1, said means to exert a yieldable detent force including a spring mounted with relation to said detent rod to oppose further travel thereof before said valve passes said critical height.

3. A device as described in claim 1, said detent rod being vertically slideably mounted so as to become engaged with said lever arm through said lift wire after the same has been displaced 'sufiiciently to raise said valve, but before said valve passes said critical height, and a weight suspended with relation to said detent member so as to oppose further upward travel thereof upon said engagement.

4. A device as described in claim 1, said detent member being engaged by said lever arm through said lift wire and moved in a fixed direction thereby after said am has been displaced sufiiciently to raise said valve, but before said valve passes said critical height, and magnetic means associated with said detent member so as to magnetically oppose further travel thereof in said direction upon said engagement.

5. A water saving device for flush tanks having a buoyant-discharge system wherein a buoyant valve is raised from an outlet valve seat to permit the discharge of water by the upward displacedisplaces a lift link slideably engaged with the valve stem of said buoyant valve, comprising a vertically slideably mounted detent rod supported independently of said lever arm and being spaced from a movable portion thereof and being engageable thereby so as to be pulled upwardly when said lever arm has lifted'said valve to a predetermined height, and a weight suspended with relation to said detent rod so as to oppose further upward travel thereof upon the engagement of said detent rod with said lever arm, whereby when said lever arm has raised said valve to said predetermined position, said detent .rod will yieldably oppose further elevation of ment of a lever arm which in turn upwardly displaces a lift link slideably engaged with the valve stem of said buoyant valve, comprising a vertically slideably mounted detent rod supported independently of said lever arm and being spaced from a movable portion of said lever arm and being engageable thereby, so as to be pulled upwardly when said lever arm has lifted said valve to a predetermined height, a spring mounted in association with said detent rod so as to normally urge the same in a downward direction, whereby when said lever arm has raised said valve to said predetermined position, said detent rod will yieldably oppose further elevation of said valve by said lever arm.

6. A water saving device for flush tanks having a buoyant-discharge system wherein a buoyant valve is raised from an outlet-valve seat to permit the discharge of water by the upward displacement of a lever arm which in turn upwardly said valve by said lever arm.

7. A Water saving device for flush tanks having a buoyant-discharge system wherein a buoyant valve is raised from an outlet-valve seat to permit the discharge of water by the upward displacement of a lever arm which in turn upwardly displaces a lift link slideably engaged with the valve stem of said buoyant valve, comprising a vertically slideably mounted detent rod supported.

independently of said lever arm and being spaced from a movable portion thereof and being engageable thereby so as to be pulled upwardly when said lever arm has lifted said valve to a predetermined height, and magnetic means associated with said detent rod so as to magnetically oppose further upward travel of said detent rod upon the engagement of said detent rod with said lever arm, whereby when said lever arm has raised said valve to said predetermined position, said detent rod will yieldably oppose further elevation of said valve by said lever arm.

CHARLES M. McCORMAC-K. SALVATORE S. FARANDA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

